RI-Singapore Foreign Ministers Meet to Strengthen Energy Cooperation Amid Middle East Conflict

Indonesia and Singapore have agreed to strengthen energy cooperation and reaffirm their commitment to ASEAN centrality and unity amid rising global geopolitical tensions, including those in the Middle East. This was discussed during a bilateral meeting between Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono and Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at the Pancasila Building, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Jakarta, on Tuesday (12/5/2026). “We discussed cross-border electricity trade, as well as energy development and investment that we hope can become one of the major sustainable electricity projects,” Sugiono stated. “We share the same views on concerns regarding the regional and global situation, especially the conditions in the Middle East which directly affect energy resilience and supply chains,” Sugiono added. In addition, the meeting also addressed strengthening economic cooperation, regional stability, and developing collaboration in various sectors, including agribusiness and industrial technology. Sugiono stated that Indonesia and Singapore emphasised the importance of maintaining ASEAN centrality and unity amid increasingly complex global dynamics. “We reaffirmed our joint commitment to ASEAN centrality and unity, especially amid the current challenging situation,” he said. Specifically, he mentioned Indonesia as a major force in the energy sector, from solar, geothermal, to hydroelectric power. According to him, this vast potential can synergise with Singapore’s strengths in technology and infrastructure financing. This is seen as beneficial for both countries. “We believe that Indonesia’s economic development and abundant energy potential will complement Singapore’s role as a regional power in technology and infrastructure financing. This will be a very beneficial form of synergy for both countries,” Vivian said. In the energy sector, Vivian exemplified collaboration between Indonesia, Singapore, and other ASEAN countries in realising the ASEAN Power Grid (APG), an initiative to establish an integrated electricity network among ASEAN member states. According to him, the APG is a concrete manifestation of ASEAN centrality while also serving as a means to achieve net-zero emission targets through increasing renewable energy capacity in the region.